Viking River Gets 'Americanized'

by Paul Motter

MS Viking PakhomovClick for pic.

Viking River Cruises, the European riverboat operator, is making progress on
its promise to fashion a product especially for the American market.

When Viking River acquired KD River Cruises in March of 2000--making it the
world's largest river cruise operator--company founder Tor Hagen decided to
keep the two brands separate. Although Americans are always welcome on either
line, he wanted to keep KD oriented toward European-style voyages and steer
the Viking River experience more toward American expectations and tastes.

On my two Viking River cruises--a Danube trip in summer of 2000, just after
the KD acquisition, and another in August 2001 on the Rhine--I got to see
firsthand just how the company's policy is being applied. The second cruise
was a far better experience, as Viking River Cruises refines the product to
appeal to North Americans.

While the KD River vessels still have menus and tours presented in several
languages, the Viking River boats now offer excursions and onboard
entertainment only in English.

On my Danube cruise in 2000, we Americans were in the minority on a boat full
of German tourists. And it seemed that we appeared as strange to the staff as
the Czech countryside did to our eyes. Some might think it fun to have a
separate culture on board, but I didn't. The needs and expectations of the
Europeans were in conflict with ours, and it adversely affected our enjoyment
of the cruise.

While we Americans ogled at the farms and villages we sailed past, our blase
German counterparts appeared more concerned with the wine selection at lunch.

Their preoccupation with food became even more vexing when we realized that
the shore tours were timed to keep us from missing a minute of any meal
onboard. In keeping with European tradition, the chef made the menu
selections; even though the food was good, we had no choice but to eat what
we were given. Onboard entertainment one night was an "oompah" band, and the
in-cabin TV featured American films in German with no subtitles.

But what a difference a year made.

During my second cruise, down the Rhine in August 2001 on the new Viking
Neptune, I saw a vastly improved appeal to American sensibilities. The meals
were much better, and included a choice of two entrees, generally meat or
fish. The line also added a generous salad bar at lunch and dinner.

St. BasilsClick for pic.

Tours were conducted in English only, and the guides were very informative.
The shore excursions were still a bit too short for my taste, as the company
apparently still felt compelled to return us to the ship by mealtime.
Fortunately, that is often not an issue: One benefit of river cruising is
that the boat frequently docks in the heart of the city. For example, we
landed in Cologne at noon one day and didn't sail until late the next day.
Tours are optional, and we had plenty of time to see the city on our own.

I also noticed changes in the in-cabin TV: It included CNN International and
a movie channel with films in English. The beds on these boats are among the
most comfortable I have ever slept on, and the wall-to-wall picture
window--which slides open to allow fresh air--is a delight.

ResturantClick for pic.

There isn't much in the way of onboard activities -- there's no room for a
disco or casino aboard these small, narrow vessels -- but main room has an
espresso bar open throughout the day, where we met passengers and staff who
were uniformly friendly and convivial. Granted, the passengers tend to be
elderly, but I never had a problem finding friends for conversation, games or
company on shore. On a European river cruise, much of your time is spent
sailing idly past the constantly changing scenery. A spacious open-air upper
deck has deck chairs and umbrellas where people congregate all day long to
chat, take pictures and play games.

Company founder Tor Hagen is a veteran of the old Royal Viking Line, and
Viking River's vessels are a tribute to the splendor of the RVL ships. They
have floor to ceiling windows in every public room, subdued Scandinavian
furnishings in soft peach and powder blue pastels, and single seating meals
of continental cuisine presented expertly by friendly European staff. The
Swiss Hotel management team keeps everything ship-shape.

With so many ocean-going cruise ships diverted away from Europe and the
Mediterranean this year, perhaps more Americans will turn to river cruising.
If they do, they'll find that it's a great way to visit Europe. They can see
the treasures of the large cities, as well as the pastoral countryside, with
all the convenience that cruising offers: You unpack once, spend the entire
trip with interesting people, and avoid the constant quests for taxis, hotels
and suitable restaurants.

LibraryClick for pic.

Viking River offers river trips in Italy, France, Germany, Holland, the Czech
Republic, Hungary and more. The longest is a 16-day journey from Amsterdam to
Budapest. Go to www.vikingrivercruises.com to see the available itineraries.

In addition, Viking River now offers Russia cruises between St. Petersburg
and Moscow, with lengthy stays in those two cities. The Russian riverboats
carry up to 250 passengers, while the rest of the fleet is mainly smaller
boats accommodating about 100.

All trips include extensive pre- and post-cruise stays in some of Europe's
most intriguing cities. On some trips you stay on the boat, on others in
hotels. In all cases your cruise price includes airfare from select gateway
cities in North America, all accommodations, meals and all shore tours.